Merik uldall



UNirED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

PETER CHRISTIAN EMMERIK ULDALL, OF COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

MANUFACTURE OF HAY AND IVIANURE FORKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,614, dated June 7, 1887.

- Application filed January 22, 1887. Serial No. $125,095. (No model.)

To allwhom, t may concern:-

Be :it known that I, PETER CHRISTIAN EM- MERIK ULDALL, a subject of the King of Denmark, residing at Copenhagen, in the Kingv others skilled in the art to which it appertains` to make and use the same, reference beinghad tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which 4form a part of this specification. a Figure 1 is a plan View ofthe blank for my improved hollow fork. Figs. 2 and 2show, respectively,in plan view andin side view a partly-nished fork resting in the lowerintaglio die. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view ofthe upper and lower dies and of the blank. Fig.- 4 is a similar view showing the blank in a die giving a still further folding to the blank. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the edges of the blank brought together. Fig. Gis aplan view of a die for giving the prongs or tines of the fork their proper lateral curve, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view .of a die giving the final curve to the prongs or tines of the fork.

Similar, letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention has relation to forks used for agricultural purposes, such as hay and dung Vi'orks;.and it consists, first, in the improved method. of and apparatus for manufacturing hol1owpronged lorks, and, second, in the iinproved construction ofthe hollow-pronged fork produced by the method as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a indicates the portion of the blank which is intended for the socket of the fork for the insertion of thehandle, and b and Z1'I indicate the portions ofthe blank forming the tines or prongs.

This blank, which for atwopronged fork is of substantially the same shape as shown in Fig. 1, is placed in an intaglio die, A, having a small concavity in its face corresponding in shape to the general outline ofthe blank, and a plunger or dicin relief, A2, is forced down upon the blank, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the dies first used having less of an indentation and raised portion, respectively, than the dies used afterward, the dies gradually bringing the edges of the blank to curve upward and toward each other, as shown in Fig. 4. The blank is thereupon placed between two dies, B andi?, the lower one of which is formed with a shallow recess or indentation corresponding in shape to the form of the pressed blank, and the upper die is formed with a recess, C, having inclined or beveled sides and a flat bottom, as shown in Fig. 5, the branches of the said recess gradually tapering toward their points, and the inclined sides of the re cess will serve to close the edges of the blank and give the pressed and nearly-finished blank the proper shape. The blank is now heated and the edges, which are pressed close together by the last process, are welded together, whereupon the blank isl placed into a die or former formed by two parts, D and D2, which inclose the socket and the outer sides of the prongs, when a plunger, D, of a blunt and rounded wedge shape is inserted between the prongs, spreading them and giving them theproper lateral curve.

Itnow remains to give the prongs the proper curve transverse to the plane through the socket and prongs, and this is accomplished by placing the blank between two dies, E and El, respectively formed in their faces with a recess corresponding to the shape of the fork, and having, respective-ly, a concave and a convex curved face, so that the upper portions of the prongs may be curved into a plane below the plane between thepoints of the prongs and thesocket. The fork is now so far finished that all which remains is to temper it and` to sharpen and Viinish the fork for market, and it will be seen that a very light article is obtained on account of the prongs being hollow, while the prongs will be equally as strong as solid prongs andpossess comparatively greater elasticity and yielding power than the solid and heavier prongs.

Vhen -forks with more than two prongs are manufactured,the dies will of course have their respective recesses and raised parts formed to correspond to the shape of the many-pronged blank, and the plunger in the die giving the lateral spread to the prongs will be divided into a number of parts, each corresponding to the space between two prongs, the entire operation and method of manufacture being the same as with the two-pronged fork, the only difference bei ng the difference in the shape of the dies.

The dies are here shown fiat, one die being forced down upon the other; but it follows that the dies may be formed upon rollers between which the blanks may be fed, in the same 1nan ner as a number of other metallic objects are eut or formed from rough blanks inserted between roller-dies-aa for instance, links and similar objects.

Numerous other modifications may be made in the construction of the several parts of the dies and other machinery for manufact-ming the forks Without departing from the spirit of my invention, which changes all may suggest themselves during the manufacture of the impleinents.

Having thus described niyinvention, Ielaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Stateshh 1. The improved method of manufacturing hollow-pronged forks, consisting,` in gradually curving the edges of a flat fork-shaped blank between dies, uniting the edges by welding, and then giving the fork the desired lateral and transverse curve of the prongs, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The improved apparatus for manufacturing hollow-pronged forks, eonsisting of 1ntaglio and relief dies, a blunt and rounded Wedge-shaped plunger, a forked die, and two dies having, respectively, a convex and a con cave face, as and for the purpose shown. and set forth.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing hollow-pronged forks, the combination of a forkshaped die having prong-receiving grooves or recesses in the inner sides of its branches and a blunt rounded Wedge-shaped plunger having,r grooves in its sides, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. In an apparatus for manufacturing hol- 10W-pronged forks, the combination of two dies, one of which has a shallow recess, and the other one has a recess the sides of which are beveled or inclined toward each other and having a flat bottom, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

5. As an improved article of manufacture, a fork having` tubular or hollow welded and swaged prongs, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony whereof IafiirrY my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

XVitncssos:

Fminr'mir. WoLrr, Rasmus Winnen. 

